Google’s annual hardware event in New York City on 15 October was the venue for the launch of Pixel 4, the search giant’s new flagship smartphone. Adding spice to the event were a slew of other Google products including a slick refresh of Pixelbook Go, improvements on Google’s home gadgets and a revamp of its wireless earbuds.

Images and rumors about the features of Google’s much-leaked latest flagship smartphones, the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL, were making the rounds a long time before the official launch. Most of the rumors about its size and features have been proven correct with the actual release. Priced at US$799 and $899 respectively for the Pixel 4 and Pixel 4XL, the two phones tout an innovative radar chip for sensing motion that speeds up functions such as face unlock, and enables a series of gesture commands to swipe screens and silence a ringing phone.

By adding gesture control in a device that hundreds of thousands of people will use, Google is probably training people on the possibilities of using gestures to control many other things. Uptake in using gestures could allow Google to introduce this feature it its Nest devices with smart displays where it makes practical sense.

The use of the Soli radar sensor posed some privacy questions for Google. Since it can detect the environment around Pixel 4, privacy had to be built in from the start. So the sensor can be turned on or off at any time and when it is on, all data is processed on the phone and not shared with other Google services.

Google Assistant has also received a facelift on Pixel 4, and users now have greater control of their data and enabling them to tell Assistant how long to store activity data in an account and when to delete it. Google obviously realizes that consumers are getting more concerned about privacy.

The camera tech in the Pixel 4 received a refresh. At the rear of the unit, there is a 12.2-megapixel f/1.7 main camera and 16-megapixel f/2.4 telephoto one. At the front, there is an 8-megapixel selfie camera. Google also boosted its flagship camera’s computational photography capabilities, adding among others Live HDR+, which allows a user to see HDR effects on the screen before capturing an image. The camera also has dual exposure controls, enabling control of the brightness and shadows in a photo with slider controls while it is being composed. In addition, Night Sight is better, with astrophotography added to its repertoire.

Google also announced a new 13-inch Pixelbook Go laptop at its event. The laptop is thin, light, has good battery life, and sells for $649. The Pixelbook Go reinforces Google’s commitment to the Chromebook category and is an excellent alternative to the 13-inch Macbook Air or Surface laptop.

Google also announced a refresh of its Nest product line at the event with a new Nest Mini, which has improved sound and better speech recognition with its three mics and a faster processor, priced at $49. Three years after Google introduced its WiFi router, an upgrade has arrived with the new Nest WiFi which comes with a base router and remote unit, which includes a speaker and microphones, for $269.

With the announcement of Pixel Buds at the event, Google is taking another crack at the wireless Bluetooth earpod market. The buds, priced at $179, will not be available until next year, but their specs are attractive, including snug-fitting silicone ear tips, hands-free access to the Assistant and sensors that can pick up ambient noise and adjust speaker volume, as well as

beamforming microphones that can sense when your jaw is moving to help focus those microphones on your voice, and they can stay connected in up to three rooms indoors and a football field away outside.


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